A clipping I came across mentioned that Chevrolet had worked out something that involved transporting Chevy Vegas—So we’re talking around mid 1970’s here—in cars that held these in ramp like affairs on the sides–not the ends now—of these auto transporters. They would drive the Vegas onto the ramp/doors and then secured them to these doors then would use a front end loader to close them.
As far as I know Southern Pacific, Frisco, and at least one more used these dang contraptions. What were they thinking?[%-)]
I think I’m going to have to hunt these strange critters down[:)]
On the forum here in September of 2008 we discussed the Vert-A-Pacs- if you do a search for Vert-A-Pac it will bring up that thread, it has a lot of good information on the cars, and the cars they hauled.
THe above shows Chevy Vega’s being loaded into a Verta-pak car. The Vega was manufactured with a hook system to enable the car being hung nose down for shipment, with liquid refills designed to enable this function.
On the forum here in September of 2008 we discussed the Vert-A-Pacs- if you do a search for Vert-A-Pac it will bring up that thread, it has a lot of good information on the cars, and the cars they hauled.
Thse 'specialty cars’seem to have a facination all their own, and while looking at this currently posted Thread here by RailsWest. I noticed in the photos he posted of trains on the old MILW RR Lines west, the lead cars in the train were a couple of SPRR VertiPak auto transporters. ( Used to move the Chevy Vega sub compacts to market from the production plants. One of the main issues was the battery which ,in-transit, spilled out the acid onto the front of the car causing much damage to the auto and ultimately some to the rail car).
Since these cars were used about 50 years ago, or so. There were a number of younger members here who had no conception of how these cars were utilized.
Rather than over run RailsWest’s Thread, I thought I would utilize a link to his thread and its photos of the Operations involving the Vert-a-Pak cars and their cargo handling process.
Utilizing the link provided by Rails West, scroll through the linked photos of Rick Wright’s of the MILW trains and the “Little Joe’s” (on O Gauge Forum)
The Lordstown, Ohio assembly facility was constructed expressly to build the Vega’s and the Vert-A-Pac’s were constructed expressly to haul them. The Vega’s and Vert-A-Pacs are now history. Lordstown is still in existance.
Does anyone know which railroads owned the Vert-A-Pac loaders on these cars? I can come up with SP (maybe SSW), B&O, MILW, and RI. Were there others for sure?
Larry, the cars in the box cars were transported at angles, but not any more severe than they are on rubber-tired auto carriers these days.
Per the Wikipedia entry on autoracks: Vert-a-Pacs could carry 30 Chevrolet Vegas, versus 18 in normal tri-level autoracks.
Will be interesting to see if the idea comes back again.
Here is the entire Wikipedia entry on Vert-a-Pacs:
The Chevrolet Vega was designed to be shipped vertically, nose down. Special rail cars known as Vert-A-Pac cars designed jointly between General Motors and the Southern Pacific Railroad and held 30 Vegas versus 18 in normal tri-level autoracks. Each Vega was fitted with four removable, cast-steel sockets inserted into the undercarriage.[1]
Interesting reading, both here and on the 2008 thread. I note that the Verta-A-Pac flats were salvaged for ‘re-racking’ when production of the Vega was scrapped in 1977. This partially addressed my question of how the railroads made out with this investment, which turned out to have a short (6-year) life, in specialized, one-way equipment.
I continue to wonder at the investment by all the different roads besides Lordstown host B&O. I assume all of them got in on the haul; and B&O was always cash-short in those days, right?
There are several Stack Pak containers used for storage at the old Cotton Belt car shops in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. This is right next to the Arkansas Railroad Museum on Port Road.
